Pre-budget Season Forums Planned

NEWINGTON — Prompted by complaints from residents that their voices were not being heard, town officials are planning two pre-budget season forums.

The first, set for Tuesday, will be held from noon to 2 p.m. in the Helen Nelson Room at town hall. The other, not yet scheduled, will be held in the evening sometime in November.

``We had people come out near the end of the process last year who felt their voices were not heard,'' Mayor Rodney Mortensen said Wednesday. ``In trying to come up with a plan to help that situation, we decided to hold two budget forums, one at night, one during the day, during October and November.

Town officials suspect revaluation, and the resulting rise in property taxes in the last budget, may have contributed to the outpouring of dissatisfaction. Tax bills increased 8.5 percent to 15 percent.

Mortensen said the forums will be in addition to the usual public hearings held during the annual budget process. They will be very informal -- a ``kind of talk session'' -- where residents can let town leaders know where they would like to see the town going, he said.

When the town council approved the $85 million, 2006-07 budget in April, residents complained that the Democrat-controlled council focused too much on spending and not enough on the plight of taxpayers.

Anthony Boni, one of several senior citizens who attended nearly all the budget meetings, commended the three council Republicans but told Democrats they ``listened but didn't hear.''

``People are disgusted and don't come and speak because they know no one is listening,'' Boni said. ``We have given up hope of any change of direction.''

Mortensen, an independent elected on a platform of fiscal restraint, hopes the forums dispel that notion. ``Any idea, any input I think would be helpful,'' he said. ``Everybody is welcome and would be helpful to the process.''